READY TO TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP WITH JESUS?
Baptism is one of the first steps Jesus gives us when we decide to follow Him. It is a way of saying that we are trusting Jesus, leaving our old life behind, and choosing to live a new life with Him. Maybe you already know you’re ready to be baptized, or maybe you still have a few questions. Either way, we would love to walk with you as you take your next step.
WHAT IS BAPTISM?
Baptism is a response to Jesus. When we put our faith in Him, we turn from our old way of life and choose to follow Him. Baptism gives us a powerful picture of that decision because it connects us with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
Paul describes it this way in Romans 6:4: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead... we too may live a new life.”
That picture is why we baptize by immersion. Going under the water represents being buried with Christ, and coming out of the water represents being raised to a new life with Him. It is a visible way of saying that the old life is being left behind and a new life with Jesus has begun.
My old life is no longer in charge. Jesus is.
Paul describes it this way in Romans 6:4: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead... we too may live a new life.”
That picture is why we baptize by immersion. Going under the water represents being buried with Christ, and coming out of the water represents being raised to a new life with Him. It is a visible way of saying that the old life is being left behind and a new life with Jesus has begun.
My old life is no longer in charge. Jesus is.
WHO SHOULD BE BAPTIZED?
Baptism is for anyone who has put their faith in Jesus and decided to follow Him. In the New Testament, people heard the good news about Jesus, believed, repented, and were baptized. In Acts 2, after Peter told the crowd about Jesus, they asked a simple question: “What shall we do?” Peter answered, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)
That pattern continues throughout the New Testament. Baptism is connected to our faith in Jesus, our decision to turn from our old way of life, and our desire to follow Him. Galatians 3:26–27 says that through faith we are children of God and that those who have been baptized into Christ have “clothed” themselves with Christ.
You do not have to have everything figured out before you are baptized.
You simply need to know who you are trusting and who you have decided to follow.
That pattern continues throughout the New Testament. Baptism is connected to our faith in Jesus, our decision to turn from our old way of life, and our desire to follow Him. Galatians 3:26–27 says that through faith we are children of God and that those who have been baptized into Christ have “clothed” themselves with Christ.
You do not have to have everything figured out before you are baptized.
You simply need to know who you are trusting and who you have decided to follow.
I'M READY TO BE BAPTIZED
You do not need to know everything about the Bible or have your whole life cleaned up before you are baptized. Following Jesus does not begin when we finally become good enough. It begins when we trust Him, turn toward Him, and choose to follow Him.
A good way to think about your next step is to ask yourself a few simple questions: Do I believe Jesus is the Son of God who died and rose again for me? Am I trusting Him to save me? Am I ready to turn from my old way of life and follow Him?
If your answer is yes, baptism is your next step. And if you are thinking, “I believe, but I still have some questions,” that is okay too. We would love to talk with you, hear your story, and help you work through what baptism means.
A good way to think about your next step is to ask yourself a few simple questions: Do I believe Jesus is the Son of God who died and rose again for me? Am I trusting Him to save me? Am I ready to turn from my old way of life and follow Him?
If your answer is yes, baptism is your next step. And if you are thinking, “I believe, but I still have some questions,” that is okay too. We would love to talk with you, hear your story, and help you work through what baptism means.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I GET BAPTIZED?
We’ll walk you through everything. Seriously. You won’t show up on Sunday and suddenly discover that somebody expects you to know what to do.
A member of our NEXT STEPS TEAM will contact you ahead of time, answer your questions, hear a little of your story, and explain exactly what will happen. When it is time for your baptism, we will be right there with you.
On the day you are baptized, we will celebrate with you as you take this step of following Jesus. Baptism is a big deal, and at Local we think following Jesus is worth celebrating.
A member of our NEXT STEPS TEAM will contact you ahead of time, answer your questions, hear a little of your story, and explain exactly what will happen. When it is time for your baptism, we will be right there with you.
On the day you are baptized, we will celebrate with you as you take this step of following Jesus. Baptism is a big deal, and at Local we think following Jesus is worth celebrating.
BAPTISM FAQs
I WAS BAPTIZED AS AN INFANT. SHOULD I BE BAPTIZED AGAIN?
If you were baptized as an infant, that was likely a meaningful decision your parents or family made because they wanted you to know and follow Jesus. We honor the heart behind that decision. When we look at baptism in the New Testament, however, we see baptism connected to a person's own faith in Jesus and decision to follow Him. People hear the good news about Jesus, believe, repent, and then respond in baptism. So if you were baptized as an infant and have now personally decided to trust and follow Jesus, we encourage you to be baptized as your own response of faith.
I AM ALREADY FOLLOWING JESUS. WHY SHOULD I BE BAPTIZED?
Sometimes people begin following Jesus without fully understanding baptism or simply never have the opportunity to take that step. If that describes you, baptism can still be your next step. Throughout the New Testament, baptism is part of the response of someone who has put their faith in Jesus and chosen to follow Him. It is not about how long you have been a Christian or whether you should have done it sooner. It is about responding to Jesus now. There is no expiration date on obedience. If you are following Jesus but have never been baptized, we would encourage you to take that step.
DOES BAPTISM SAVE ME?
Jesus saves us.
Our hope is not in water, a ceremony, or something we accomplish for ourselves. Our salvation is possible because of what Jesus did through His death and resurrection. And Jesus told His followers to make disciples and baptize them. At the same time, the New Testament does not separate faith in Jesus from our response to Him. Belief, repentance, baptism, forgiveness, and new life are repeatedly connected as people respond to the good news about Jesus. That is why we take Jesus at His word when He tells us to make disciples and baptize them.
Baptism is not something we do to earn God’s grace. It is a response of faith to the grace God has given us through Jesus.
DO I HAVE TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING BEFORE I GET BAPTIZED?
No. Following Jesus does not begin with passing a theology exam. The people we read about in the book of Acts certainly did not understand everything about following Jesus when they were baptized. They understood who Jesus was, trusted Him, and were ready to follow Him. You will continue learning and growing for the rest of your life. Baptism is not graduation. It is a beginning.
WHAT IF I'M STILL NOT SURE?
Then let's talk. Questions are not something we are afraid of at Local. If you are interested in Jesus or baptism but are not sure you are ready, we would love to hear your story, talk through your questions, and help you think about your next step. There is no pressure to manufacture a decision. We want you to understand the decision you are making and choose to follow Jesus for yourself.
If you were baptized as an infant, that was likely a meaningful decision your parents or family made because they wanted you to know and follow Jesus. We honor the heart behind that decision. When we look at baptism in the New Testament, however, we see baptism connected to a person's own faith in Jesus and decision to follow Him. People hear the good news about Jesus, believe, repent, and then respond in baptism. So if you were baptized as an infant and have now personally decided to trust and follow Jesus, we encourage you to be baptized as your own response of faith.
I AM ALREADY FOLLOWING JESUS. WHY SHOULD I BE BAPTIZED?
Sometimes people begin following Jesus without fully understanding baptism or simply never have the opportunity to take that step. If that describes you, baptism can still be your next step. Throughout the New Testament, baptism is part of the response of someone who has put their faith in Jesus and chosen to follow Him. It is not about how long you have been a Christian or whether you should have done it sooner. It is about responding to Jesus now. There is no expiration date on obedience. If you are following Jesus but have never been baptized, we would encourage you to take that step.
DOES BAPTISM SAVE ME?
Jesus saves us.
Our hope is not in water, a ceremony, or something we accomplish for ourselves. Our salvation is possible because of what Jesus did through His death and resurrection. And Jesus told His followers to make disciples and baptize them. At the same time, the New Testament does not separate faith in Jesus from our response to Him. Belief, repentance, baptism, forgiveness, and new life are repeatedly connected as people respond to the good news about Jesus. That is why we take Jesus at His word when He tells us to make disciples and baptize them.
Baptism is not something we do to earn God’s grace. It is a response of faith to the grace God has given us through Jesus.
DO I HAVE TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING BEFORE I GET BAPTIZED?
No. Following Jesus does not begin with passing a theology exam. The people we read about in the book of Acts certainly did not understand everything about following Jesus when they were baptized. They understood who Jesus was, trusted Him, and were ready to follow Him. You will continue learning and growing for the rest of your life. Baptism is not graduation. It is a beginning.
WHAT IF I'M STILL NOT SURE?
Then let's talk. Questions are not something we are afraid of at Local. If you are interested in Jesus or baptism but are not sure you are ready, we would love to hear your story, talk through your questions, and help you think about your next step. There is no pressure to manufacture a decision. We want you to understand the decision you are making and choose to follow Jesus for yourself.
DOES MY BAPTISM HAVE TO HAPPEN DURING A SUNDAY GATHERING?
Most of our baptisms happen when the church is gathered because we love being able to celebrate together. Following Jesus was never meant to be We normally celebrate baptisms when the church is together because following Jesus was never meant to be something we do alone. Baptism gives the people around you an opportunity to celebrate with you and encourage you as you continue following Jesus. There may be circumstances where another time or setting makes sense, though. If so, talk with us and we’ll figure it out together.
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
Keep it simple. We recommend wearing dark shorts or swim trunks with appropriate clothing underneath. Local will provide a baptism shirt for you. Bring a towel and a change of clothes, and we will help with everything else. And invite your family and friends. This is a big moment in your walk with Jesus, and we would love for the people who matter to you to celebrate with you.
Most of our baptisms happen when the church is gathered because we love being able to celebrate together. Following Jesus was never meant to be We normally celebrate baptisms when the church is together because following Jesus was never meant to be something we do alone. Baptism gives the people around you an opportunity to celebrate with you and encourage you as you continue following Jesus. There may be circumstances where another time or setting makes sense, though. If so, talk with us and we’ll figure it out together.
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
Keep it simple. We recommend wearing dark shorts or swim trunks with appropriate clothing underneath. Local will provide a baptism shirt for you. Bring a towel and a change of clothes, and we will help with everything else. And invite your family and friends. This is a big moment in your walk with Jesus, and we would love for the people who matter to you to celebrate with you.
Ready?
If you have decided to follow Jesus and you're ready to be baptized, fill out the form below. Once we receive it, someone from Local will reach out to you. We'll hear a little of your story, answer any questions you have, and help you prepare for your baptism. You don't have to figure this out alone.
Let's take your next step together.
Let's take your next step together.